How I'm Preparing to Teach in Spain: Part Three

Hello again! This is the third and final part of my getting-ready-for-Spain series, because tomorrow is going to be full of last-minute packing and prep. 

I’m Getting Ready to Aux

I took a TEFL course (not with CIEE, though) that really did help me feel more prepared. I can actually tell you what the future perfect continuous is now! 

Another way I’ve been preparing is by reading books about English grammar. You might cringe just thinking about that, but there are some fairly clear and, dare I say, entertaining, books out there. Dreyer’s English is my favorite. It’s concise and at times laugh-out-loud hilarious. You’ll know what I mean when you get to the 1950s child-rearing example. 

For Who the Bell Tolls has also been helpful—I finally know the difference between “burnt” and “burned”. (The first one is an adjective, as in ‘I don’t love burnt toast’. The second is the past simple or past participle of the verb “burn”, as in ‘She burned the toast for the fifteenth time this week’ or ‘He has burned the toast severely’.)

I’ll also be coming up with games that I can whip out. I’ve been assigned to a bilingual school, which means that I might be called upon to help teach a science lesson at a moment’s notice. Having some adaptable activities will help me not feel overwhelmed if that happens. 

Lastly, I'm reminding myself that as exciting as it will be to live in Madrid and travel around, I'm going over to be an auxiliar. If there's a conflict between working and exploring, working has to be the priority. I want to be a good aux. 

I’m Packing

And I’m loosely following the advice that you should pack, then take out half of what you packed. 

It’s hard, because I’m one of those people who can argue that my miniature binoculars would come in handy in X semi-unlikely situation. I’m getting better, though, at being realistic. 

When in doubt, take it out. If I don’t think I’d use something, like a blazer and slacks, often, then I’m generally leaving it at home. Especially if it’s a bulky item. If I do end up needing it, I can go thrifting in Spain. 

Clothes-wise, I’m pretty much bringing a capsule wardrobe: some basic shirts and pants that I can spruce up with jackets, scarves, and earrings. Shoes include a pair of booties that I can dress up or down, sneakers, and trail shoes, because I love hiking. Come summertime, sandals will be helpful. 

For the first time, I’m using packing cubes. I never thought I’d need them, but they are helpful for the sake of organization. I can just pull out the cube I need instead of rifling through my suitcase, trying to find my swimsuit. I recommend the ones from Quince—they’re responsibly made and seem very sturdy.

That’s all for now (I say that like this wasn’t a three-part series), and I’ll talk to you guys later! Hasta pronto, amigos.